Will Mancini

If you are reading a book (non-fiction), don’t continue until you know the singular reason why the book was written. This reason should reveal the problem that the book is trying to solve. The value of any book and all of its parts is tied to this double-barreled clarity: A singular what and a compelling why.

Why would I fire up a post on this topic right now?  Yesterday, Warren Bird of Leadership Network, asked me to do a conference call with a group of seminary students at Alliance Theological Seminary. They are going through Church Unique as a text. The first question I got asked is, “How would you state the purpose of your book in one sentence?” In all honestly the question bugged me a bit, because I went through great pain to provide the clear answer to that in the introduction. It revealed to me the reality that most people don’t connect their reading back to singular clear purpose, even when an author points it out clearly.

Here are the problems if you don’t know the purpose of the book and the problem it solves:

• You might be wasting your time on a book and topic of no relevance to you
• You might not appreciate the difference between books that are well written and poorly written
• You might misinterpret what is being said through the content of the book
• You might apply a solution to a problem that was not the problem the book addresses
• You might not appreciate the problems that the author experienced before you do

Well this might sound a little to anal to you, but for me, its about being clear.  There are more books out there that I could read in my lifetime, so its important for me to digest every book with intentionality. The two exceptions for me with non-fiction books are reading for entertainment or enjoying a biography for inspiration.

Just for fun, here is the singular reason I wrote Church Unique  (seen in the excerpt below). It is to challenge the reader to find their Church Unique- that is, to live a vision that creates a stunningly unique, movement oriented church.

The problem that the book solves is unpacked in the first four chapters of the book (below) and reveals the problems and pitfalls of two decades of “visioning.” The bottom line is that most work done under the banner of “visioning,” in the local church is a waste of time. How’s that for a problem statement?

• Unoriginal Sin – Neglecting Uniqueness
• The Fall of Strategic Planning – Obscuring the Essence
• The Iniquity of Church Growth – Caging the Kingdom
• Lost Congregations – How Churches Adapt to the Vision Vacuum

Here is the excerpt from the introduction:

People who dream big and execute well run into particular hazards that most people don’t encounter.  I’ve discovered that it’s not uncommon for a true ministry visionary to be tired. As I coach others and navigate my own growth challenges at Auxano, I see five causes that block the future-minded leader from feeling 100%. Which formula below is sapping the healthy lifestyle, mental sanity or energy-filled style that faithfulness to God and his vision deserves?

#1  God’s Vision + Man’s agendas  = Too much work: In the pursuit of a better future, some leaders can’t say no to non-essentials and the distractions that other people bring. The weight-load is more than any leader is designed to bear. Eventually something gives. Either added agendas are purged from the leadership equation or the leader cracks under too much pressure.

#2 Personal Drivenness + God’s Vision = Too much work: Yes, vision too can become an idol. Every great gift from God runs the risk of eclipsing God as a practical source of life and motivation. When a God-given vision becomes too important and displaces God himself, the soul-battery will begin to wear down with no connections to the ultimate power source. Here’s a good related  post by my friend William Vanderbloemen on the subject, How’s Your Dashboard?

#3 God’s Vision – God’s Timetable = Too much work: Sometimes a leader is right on spot with the vision, but confused with time zone. Think of how long Abraham waited for God’s promises to arrive.  Our taste for instant gratification has become so refined (in North America especially) it’s all too easy to press ahead faster than God wants. If God’s delivering 3-day standard, insisting on overnight express will kill the leader’s vibe. 

#4 God’s Vision – Empowering Others = Too much work: There is nothing more exciting than watching God’s vision unfold. When it does, the visionary must discover and develop God’s people carry the load. All it takes is a dash of ego and few years of ministry success to leave you like Moses in Exodus 18. In this context everyone was tired, because the God-provided leadership for the nation was not deployed. 

#5 God’s Vision – Personal Growth = Too much work: This last formula is the hardest to admit. Sometimes the vision is so powerful, and the success is so stunning, the sheer complexity of God’s extraordinary work outpaces the leaders appetite for personal growth. The growth area may be in the discipline of execution, the learning of new perspectives, or just staying connected to people. The list goes on. Yesterday’s skill-set can’t match today’s challenges. The resulting strategy is to pedal harder and spin faster rather than shifting gears or getting a new bike. 

Which one of these energy drains are you feeling these days? What formulas would you add? 

This line is from the stellar strategist, Andy Stanley of North Point Community Church. When my friend Caz McCaslin (founder of Upward sports ministry) first heard the “systems talk” at the Catalyst Reverb conference ( I think it was 2007), he called me and we discussed it for what seemed to be hours. As a piece worth pursuing, here is Andy Stanley’s flow of thought:

• God created systems
• Systems create behavior
• Our leaders and volunteers action are guided by the systems we inherit, adopt or create
• We overestimate our ability to guide change, when we are not thinking on the systems level
• Systems have embedded expectations, rewards (lack of), consequences (lack of), communication styles, and behavioral patterns of the people in charge

The idea of integrating the mission and vision into the systems of the church is a massive gap in our best training environments today. (In response, the Auxano team has spent years developing a tool to address this need- we call the Vision Integration Model, which debuted in Church Unique.) So how do teams apply what Andy addresses and does so well intuitively? How does a staff have continual conversations so that alignment, attunement and integration can really happen? One phrase from Andy holds the key to getting started. He comments almost under his breath that leaders need to have “big, bold, multi-day discussions” together. A great take-away exercise is three questions for having your first big, bold conversation:

#1 What are three bahaviors that you wished your group exhibited? (The group may be your entire church, the volunteers in your ministry area or the leadership team itself.)

#2 List at least one thing you can do systematically to encourage and motivate each behavior. (process-driven not event-driven).

#3 What are we doing that accidentally works against this kind of behavior?

Over the last fifteen years, by God’s grace and through difficult decisions, I have created my dream job. Yes, it is very possible. And yes, if I won the lottery tomorrow, I would not change how I work. When you find your dream job, you leave others wondering whether you are at work or at play. Sound good? Consider these observations and actions.

#1 Most dream jobs are created, not found.

Observation: Your dream job probably doesn’t exist right now. Action: Resolve to create, not find, your true, sweet-spot fit.

#2 Most people could care less about your dream job.

Observation: People will always want you to do something for them that is not your dream job. Action: Think beyond the expectations and limited imaginations of others and beyond existing job categories.

#3 Most individuals live with a projection of their dream job that does not precisely align with what they would really love.

Observation: Thoroughgoing self awareness is rare. Action: Embrace a journey of self-examination amidst diverse experiences knowing that both successes and failures are a great asset to clarity.

#4 Drivenness to create your dream job must be tempered with contentment in any job.

Observation: People with something to prove (unhealthy ambition) or something to loose (fear) will never find their dream job. Action: Never stop applying the gospel to your heart, so that your pursuit of a dream job is a response to God’s grace not a pursuit of self-righteousness.

#5 The most important wisdom on your dream job path is usually free.

Observation: There is someone closer to your dream job than you are, and they are usually willing to talk. Action: Pursue the people who can add value, open doors, and share wisdom to guide your steps. You won’t believe what will happen if you dare to ask.

#6 The biggest steps toward your dream job, require stepping away from really good jobs.

Observation: Most people’s addiction to “good” prevents them from discovering the “best.”  Action: Jump at the right time and be prepared for a risk-step that will always present an element of faith.

#7  Never stop dreaming and taking the initiative.

Observation: Dream jobs never come to those who quit dreaming. Action: Let each dream-idea birth new action steps and each action step birth new dream-ideas.